A Week to Stand-Down and Celebrate
Gaines’s Safety team – including Safety Director Dominic Pope (right) – regularly meets with crews to discuss their safety concerns and ideas, continually enhancing Gaines’s safety program based on the needs of its workforce.
Today marks the beginning of a very important week in the construction industry. Recognized from May 5-9 is both Construction Safety Week and OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction. Gaines and Company is joining these efforts this week – and every week.
National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction
Recent data shows that the leading cause of work-related deaths for construction employees is caused by falls from elevation. 100% of these deaths are preventable.
OSHA asks construction workers throughout the country to take time this week to discuss working from height to eliminate fall-related fatalities and injuries.
Construction Safety Week
Safety cannot be achieved by just one person. It takes an industry commitment.
Construction Safety Week celebrates this shared commitment to keep all workers throughout the industry safe, joining employees, companies, and even competitors. After all, it requires commitment, collaboration, and cooperation to build a safer, stronger industry.
Gaines and Company believes that a successful safety program is not rooted in rules and regulations, but a safe-work mindset that spills into all aspects of the work day.
“We don’t want to be ‘safety police’ out there on the job site,” said Safety Director Dominic Pope. “Instead, we’ve built relationships with our crews. They know we’ve got their backs and in turn, we know they are working safely – not just for the company, not just for themselves, but for everyone on the jobsite and throughout the industry.”
Gaines and Company’s Safety Excellence Achievement Award is given to employees in both the Maryland and North Carolina locations that show a commitment to safety above and beyond expectations.
How does the Gaines Safety team know they can count on crews to always put safety first?
- Living Safety Program: Gaines’s safety program isn’t just a list of procedures to tick a box. Instead, it is ongoing conversations, safety stand downs, stop-work authority, and other collaborative efforts. All employees in the organization – from upper management to interns – are empowered to stop work if a situation is ever unsafe. This keeps the safety program alive and continually progressing.
- Award Recipients: Take a look at the growing list of safety awards Gaines has received. Industry partners, associations, and customers have recognized Gaines for their commitment to safe work.
- Award Recognitions: Gaines doesn’t just receive awards; the organization also gives internal awards every quarter as part of its Safety Excellence Program. Gaines recognizes employees that go above and beyond for the safety of themselves, their crews, and the entire job site.
- Quality Subcontractors: Gaines doesn’t just bring any subcontractor onto project sites. Instead, subcontractors are closely assessed to ensure their standards, mindsets, and expectations align.
“We are very proud of our safety record and safe-work mentality throughout our organization,” added Safety Manager Tommy Trent. “But that is no reason to get lax in our safety efforts. Instead, we continue to keep safety on the tongues and minds of our workers, ensuring that safety is incorporated into all parts of the job.”
Gaines and Company is a full-service grading and excavation company with offices in Maryland and North Carolina. The organization has over 70 years of experience in underground utilities, grading and excavating, sediment and erosion controls, and road work. Gaines and Company delivers safe, reliable, turnkey site development services in Maryland, North Carolina, Washington D.C., and Delaware on time and within budget.
